System and method of transmitting keystroke information to a client terminal

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a system and method for using a remote terminal to control processes executing on a client terminal by transmitting data to the client terminal emulating keystroke inputs at the client terminal. A remote control application program executing at the remote terminal initiates the transmission of a message for emulating keystroke inputs to the client terminal. The remote terminal also executes an operating system having logic for responding to a detection of any one combination of keystrokes of a set of predetermined combinations of keystrokes, independently of any application program executing on the remote terminal. While the remote control application is active, the remote terminal inhibits the operating system from responding to detected keystrokes and transmits a message to the client terminal emulating an input of the detected keystrokes at the client terminal.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of computer networking, comprising: 
       receiving, at a remote terminal, keystroke inputs from a keyboard of the remote terminal;  
       inhibiting an operating system of the remote terminal from transmitting the special combination of keystroke inputs to one or more lower level system processes of the remote terminal, if the keystroke inputs include a special combination; and  
       transmitting the keystroke inputs including the special combination to a client terminal, if the keystroke inputs include a special combination.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein inhibiting the operating system of the remote terminal from transmitting the special combination of keystroke inputs to one or more lower level system processes of the remote terminal, includes inhibiting transmission of the special combination of keystroke inputs to at least one raw input thread process. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein if the keystroke inputs include the special combination, then providing at least one dummy code to a raw input thread process. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein at least one dummy code is provided instead of one or more codes representing the special combination of the keystroke inputs. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the special combination of keystroke inputs includes at least one of: “ctrl+alt+del”, “alt+tab”, and “ctrl+esc”. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lower level system processes executes independently of application programs. 
     
     
       7. A method of Code for computer networking, comprising: 
       code for receiving, at a remote terminal, keystroke inputs from a keyboard of the remote terminal;  
       code for inhibiting an operating system of the remote terminal from transmitting the special combination of keystroke inputs to one or more lower level system processes of the remote terminal, if the keystroke inputs include a special combination; and  
       code for transmitting the keystroke inputs including the special combination to a client terminal, if the keystroke inputs include a special combination.  
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein inhibiting the operating system of the remote terminal from transmitting the special combination of keystroke inputs to one or more lower level system processes of the remote terminal, includes inhibiting transmission of the special combination of keystroke inputs to at least one raw input thread process. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein if the keystroke inputs include the special combination, then providing at least one dummy code to a raw input thread process. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein at least one dummy code is provided instead of one or more codes representing the special combination of the keystroke inputs. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the special combination of keystroke inputs includes at least one of: “ctrl+alt+del”, “alt+tab”, and “ctrl+esc”. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the lower level system processes executes independently of application programs. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus for computer networking, comprising: 
       means for receiving, at a remote terminal, keystroke inputs from a keyboard of the remote terminal;  
       means for inhibiting an operating system of the remote terminal from transmitting the special combination of keystroke inputs to one or more lower level system processes of the remote terminal, if the keystroke inputs include a special combination; and  
       means for transmitting the keystroke inputs including the special combination to a client terminal, if the keystroke inputs include a special combination.  
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein inhibiting the operating system of the remote terminal from transmitting the special combination of keystroke inputs to one or more lower level system processes of the remote terminal, includes inhibiting transmission of the special combination of keystroke inputs to at least one raw input thread process. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein if the keystroke inputs include the special combination, then providing at least one dummy code to a raw input thread process. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein at least one dummy code is provided instead of one or more codes representing the special combination of the keystroke inputs. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the special combination of keystroke inputs includes at least one of: “ctrl+alt+del”, “alt+tab”, and “ctrl+esc”. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the lower level system processes executes independently of application programs.